Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[suitforcourt]

There hasn’t been much activity on here recently. It’s really noticeable on Wingtip Wednesday. Is everyone on late summer vacation?

As for me, I've been on permanent work-from-home since March so I haven't been wearing my vintage shoes very often... and taking pictures of them even less frequently.

I still visit this thread daily for inspiration, but haven't been posting much lately.

I've been on vacation for the last 2 weeks and only wearing a pair of Alden Indys.

Once I'm back next week, the shoes are back in rotation. Until the first snow. That could be middle of December or last week of September. And the boot collection is only put away when the snow ends. Which could be end of April or beginning of June.

And yeah, WFH means I only wear shoes for my daily walks. Otherwise my WFH indoor collection draws detractors and accusations of heresy and blasphemy.

 

[Nobleprofessor]

As for me, I've been on permanent work-from-home since March so I haven't been wearing my vintage shoes very often... and taking pictures of them even less frequently.

I still visit this thread daily for inspiration, but haven't been posting much lately.

I've been on vacation for the last 2 weeks and only wearing a pair of Alden Indys.

Once I'm back next week, the shoes are back in rotation. Until the first snow. That could be middle of December or last week of September. And the boot collection is only put away when the snow ends. Which could be end of April or beginning of June.

And yeah, WFH means I only wear shoes for my daily walks. Otherwise my WFH indoor collection draws detractors and accusations of heresy and blasphemy.

Ha! I understand completely. I’m on a 3 day work at the office and 2 days at home.

When I’m at home, I usually wear some Hoka flip flops which are ugly as hell, but comfortable and easy.

 

[friendlygoz]

AE shell MacNeils today

 

[smfdoc]

AE shell MacNeils today View attachment 1835408 View attachment 1835409

Did you insert the eyelets or did they come that way?

 

[smfdoc]

Happy PTB Friday forum pals. Nothing special about these Florsheims other than they fit me well and I am trying to pick up the amount of content for the thread. The blue dye job LWBs are looking great and pictures when they are finished.

 

[sam67]

Knock-around Weyenbergs. Happy Friday!

 

[Satoman1]

Happy Florsheim Friday!
My new-thrifted Florsheim 92604, Date code DB with U-shaped footbed sponge so probably made in April 1961

 

[prettybasicdood]

I have a pair of Church's custom grade monkstrap shoes. Admittedly I haven't been taking care of them over the last few years. They have a few scuffs on them but nothing crazy. What type of wax should I be applying to them? They're my only pair of custom grade Church's and I'm wondering if they require a special care routine.

 

[MathMan314]

New arrival for me today: Florsheim Imperial tassel loafers. These are a touch narrow for me (because they are an 11B instead of my usual 10.5 C or D), which is why I started the stretching process right away. I think I can get these stretched in time for Tassel Tuesday!

In other news, I am hoping to finish my homemade "Golden Harvest" project this weekend. I did one shoe about a month ago and then got so busy with the start of the school year that I didn't finish the other yet.

 

[smfdoc]

Okay, this is the final post about once brown, then purplish blue then blue Florsheim LWBs. This post falls under the advice and tips purpose of the thread as it seems little is out there on the interwebs. I shall spoiler it to avoid being a real pain in the ... shoes.

Spoiler: Dye pics

First, the problematic purple haze after dying the shoes royal blue. Full sun. The purple being produced by excessive pigment that dried on application. Or so I have been told online.

Multiple sessions of brushing with pig bristle brush and applications of Bick 4, which pulled a great amount of blue off the shoes. Same location, full sun. Definite reduction of the purple and back to a blue.

Then, two applications of Resolene to cover the dyed areas and this was very effective at sealing the leather and stopping the color bleed from the bleed. This did add shine and also darkened the color somewhat even though it is a neutral product. Less direct sun as well helps make it darker.

Overall, the brushing, buffing and Resolene really helped remove the purple and I am now far happier to wear them.

I also cleaned and added Resolene to another pair I dyed to get to the chestnut Florsheims that were never made in my size. Again, the added steps were done and then the Resolene improved them.

 

[pasadena man]

I've been on vacation for the last 2 weeks and only wearing a pair of Alden Indys.

Once I'm back next week, the shoes are back in rotation. Until the first snow. That could be middle of December or last week of September. And the boot collection is only put away when the snow ends. Which could be end of April or beginning of June.

And yeah, WFH means I only wear shoes for my daily walks. Otherwise my WFH indoor collection draws detractors and accusations of heresy and blasphemy.

It’s sobering that some of the thought leaders on this thread are dialing back on wearing good shoes. I have been, if anything, moving slightly in the other direction. I usually WFH except when I have meetings or conferences, and did so before the pandemic.

I make a point of putting on “work clothes” when I sit down at my desk in the morning. These usually include an OCBD and lace up leather shoes of the sort found on this thread. I tend to keep them on during the day unless or until I start working out.

Wearing work clothes in an unstructured work environment helps me to stay focused, disciplined, and to think better.

And when I say think better, I mean think better. It’s Science, it’s a fact Jack. Its called “Embodied cognition” https://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/03/science/clothes-and-self-perception.html

You can google it.

So I look better, feel better, and think better. I can’t afford not to wear good shoes.

 

[smfdoc]

New arrival for me today: Florsheim Imperial tassel loafers. These are a touch narrow for me (because they are an 11B instead of my usual 10.5 C or D), which is why I started the stretching process right away. I think I can get these stretched in time for Tassel Tuesday!
View attachment 1835660
View attachment 1835661

In other news, I am hoping to finish my homemade "Golden Harvest" project this weekend. I did one shoe about a month ago and then got so busy with the start of the school year that I didn't finish the other yet.
View attachment 1835677

That GH conversion is really coming along nicely.

 

[friendlygoz]

Alden shell NSTs.

 

[friendlygoz]

Did you insert the eyelets or did they come that way?

I installed them. It was a DIY job in response to slight cracking on the eyelets.

 

[friendlygoz]

Wore these Keith Highlanders on Tuesday.